Exercise can take many forms. The Joe Frank Sanderson Center is always looking for a fresh approach to fitness. This semester, the Sanderson Center has added an interesting new fitness option: belly dancing. The class is taught by sophomore Lauren Moses and takes place at the Sanderson Center on Wednesday nights from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Moses received a belly dance workout video for Christmas, and when asked by the Sanderson Center for new ideas this semester, she suggested a belly dancing class. After having worked at the Sanderson for five semesters teaching classes such as Tone Zone, Moses felt Belly Dance would be an exciting alternative to normal aerobic exercise.
“This is a different kind of class–not something that people do everyday. It is good that the Sanderson offers something like that to help people from getting burned out,” Moses said.
The class will last for about an hour, including a time for stretching and cool down. It is a beginner class that stretches the entire body, gets the heart rate up, and focuses work on the abdominal muscles.
“It is an exotic style of dance to get the heart rate up, and work your muscles. It is challenging to move some muscles fast while moving some muscles slow,” Moses said.
The class has had a large turnout so far. For the first week of the class, 111 students were present. And the following week’s attendance was not far behind.
“Belly Dance is definitely one of my favorite classes. It’s so much fun, and keeps your workout not so much routine,” Moses said.
The origin of belly dancing is very mysterious. Originally called Raqs Sharq (dance from the East), belly dancing is simply a folk dance of the Middle East, not a precursor for stripping. Middle Eastern Dance was originally a family-oriented dance present at weddings, births and festivals, used as a celebratory entertainment.
The term belly dance came from the French ‘danse du ventre, which means dance of the stomach. This dance has many variations because of all of the different places in which the dance developed and flourished, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Morocco. Each place has a different version of belly dancing, but all involving intricate hip movements.
The art of belly dancing was brought to America around the 1890s. As a celebration of Christopher Columbus’ 400th anniversary of discovery of America, the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition was organized. A section of the Exposition, called the Midway Plaisance, was devoted strictly to entertainment. This is where rides and shows were introduced, including the first American appearance of a Ferris Wheel.
During the time period of proper women in corsets and long skirts, one of the biggest stories following the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition was that of the Algerian dancers on the Moroccan pavilion. Although the dancers wore long-sleeved shirts and long skirts, their style of dance seemed very provocative, and to turn-of-the-century Americans, it was even considered a scandal.
The talk of scandal only encouraged more to see their shows, though. And, due to the negative exposure, belly dancing became famous. The raucous form of entertainment called Vaudeville became interested in featuring belly dancing regularly. And once people realized that scandal drew a crowd, the Vaudeville version of belly dancing became more and more sleazy.
The raucous form of entertainment called Vaudeville became interested in featuring belly dancing regularly.
The Middle Eastern dance, like the one offered at the Sanderson Center, can be a very physically benefiting activity. It teaches good posture, pulling the stomach in, chest elevated and head held upright. Also, belly dancing helps with poor circulation, insomnia, stiff joints and can even help alleviate stress and depression.
The Sanderson’s teaching of belly dance is not only a great form of exercise, but also a dance of self-expression and of cultures of the past.